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Rock Island Armory 51429 TAC 1911 Compact 7+1

*Please Note!! Many of our pictures are stock photos provided to us by the manufacturer and do not necessarily represent the actual item being purchased. Please verify this picture accurately reflects the product described by the title and description on this page before you place your order.

Layaway TB Only
Active Team Buds Members are eligible for Layaway on Qualifiying Orders which Contain this Item.

From its 3.5 inch barrel to the extended beavertail, the ROCK Standard
CS in 45 ACP will be love at first shot. The full guide rod and
combat-style, low profile, snag-free sights are built for performance.
Comes in a fully parkerized finish. The Tactical Model gives you
everything you want in a pistol at great value, plus the backing of the
Rock Island lifetime warranty.

Reviewed By: Dean F on 06/08/2016
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
Martin Tuason says his pistols will run ‘right out of the box.’ Upon opening the box one finds information that says they need a 500 round break in. Which is it Mr. Tuason? For this pistol it was a little of both. Like most things in life, they usually work somewhere in the middle. The first trip to the range proved just that. The pistol had a couple of hiccups at first but after a box or so of range ammo it settled in and provided repeated reliability.

The pistol is definitely black; black body, grips and sights. And yes, the black sights need attention. I painted the front sight white so that it would stand out from the rear sight. That helped but fiber optic sights would be a great addition. If your eyes are like mine you will need to do something with the sights. The grips are a black rubber-like material and do not provide a very aggressive purchase. A set of G-10 grips was the first accessory and they helped immensely, both when grasping the pistol and in looks. It was nice to find that the Rock Island uses standard measurements for accessories. Not all imports do and common things like grips and sight upgrades can be hard to find because of that. In contrast to the factory grips the main spring housing has fairly aggressive serrations to help when grasping the pistol.

Eyesight? Where is that takedown notch anyway? It is much smaller than most 1911s and it is hard to see in anything but the best light. It will hopefully get easier after some practice. I can’t see the reasoning behind a minuscule notch though.

The gun comes with one ACT magazine. I have had good luck with this brand in the past and a quality magazine always benefits a pistol. I also ran a couple of Wilson Combat magazines as a test and they lock in the well and work as they should. Switching magazine brands does not always work and it is nice that my existing ones will in this gun.

The metal-to-metal fit is great with the opposing parts working easily straight from the box. The slide to frame fit is especially smooth. I could not find any two parts that did not mate together well. The trigger is no exception. After some take up it breaks cleanly at an average of 6.1 pounds and has acceptable reset. The front of the slide is nicely beveled to aid when using a holster and there are rear slide serrations to aid racking. This gun does not use a barrel bushing. Instead, the front of the barrel is tapered to form a tight barrel to slide fit when the gun is in battery. This is my first experience with this type of machining and I was stumped at the first take down. Remember to have a paper clip or a piece of wire along when you dissemble the weapon. It is used to hold the recoil spring/guide rod assembly. The take down is easy once the paper clip is used. It is also handy to read the manual before disassembly since this feature is well covered there. Yes, the gun does come covered in lubricant. There was even a lot under the factory grips when I replaced them. That really is not an issue. It cleans easily and has protected the pistol during shipping.

It is hard to fairly compare this pistol with my other 1911s. They are plain prettier. They have better finishes, grips, sights and panache. They run really well but so does the Rock Island. They are chambered in 45 Auto but so is the Rock Island. All of the basic features are located in the same places and work pretty much in the same way. For it’s physical size the Rock Island is somewhat heavy but not unmanageable. That may be a plus during recoil. Is panache worth the extra few hundred dollars? Maybe; but I did purchase both kinds. Lets consider the Rock Island the draft horse of the stable. It is not a quarter horse.

Reviewed By: Che R on 02/07/2016
Rating: [3 of 5 Stars!]
First off Bud's is awesome and they have nothing to do with the quality of this pistol. Out of the box everything looked great but once at the range it has been all downhill for this pistol. First, the rear sight is not level and slopes slightly to the right. Something not noticeable until out in the sunlight and looking through the sights at a target. The Novak style cuts are not true to size so I will be living with these sights for the foreseeable future. Second, extraction was both inconsistent and all over the place. If the casings did manage to extract they would be thrown forward, up, to the right or in between my eyes. The clocking was solved with a fitted aftermarket firing pin stop. As for the FTEs I have not been able to find the sweet spot for tuning the extractor so now I ordered one from Wilson and have to wait and see.

When the pistol does behave it is dead accurate and a pleasure to shoot. I thought about sending it back for warranty work but figured since I can do this stuff myself why not. Besides I would have to wait a month or two to get it back with just new junk parts thrown at it. Oh and this is my second RIA 1911, which the first is a Gov. and runs like a Cadillac with absolutely no issues. It is my goal to get it how I want it, which is how it should have come from RIA. Yes the price point is low, but REALLY Rock Island what is up with your QC on this one? $500 is not exactly pocket change in my book.

Reviewed By: Douglas W on 12/24/2015
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
Ordered 1 week pior to Christmas. Buds had it to my FFL in 2-3 days. Exceptional!
The R.I.A. Compact here shoots as well as my Sig, Kimber and Colt compacts. The fit from Rock Island is wonderful. I see now why so many are selling off the other brands for an every day carry 1911. Remember you're not spending $1,000 here.
Came exactly as pictured above. R.I. suggests 500 rounds for "Break in" as with any 1911. So I ran over 700 FMJ Winchester Whit Box and a mix of JHP through it on day one. NOT 1, FTF OR FTE. I cannot say I have experienced that with any other 1911 I own. I'm sold on Rock Island. Now, the finish IS Parkeraized. And will "Wear" as easy as any G.I. issued weapon. No problem there, as that's the reason I chanced it. 5 stars to Rock Island, and of course 5 stars to Buds!
Buy One.

Reviewed By: Donald R on 12/22/2015
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
I like everyone else, received a very, VERY greasy filthy gun. After a through cleaning, TWICE, lubed it up and headed for the range (my back pasture). Put 200 rounds through it with all types of ammo, and this old gal just kept pumping them out. I cleaned it again after 100 rounds, then again when I was done. 200 rounds and no fail to fire and no fails to feed. Every empty case landed about 7 feet back, to my right and a little behind in a circle about 4 feet around. I was hitting 2 inch groups at 15 yards, free hand with no rest. The trigger , out of the box is amazing. Clean crisp break at about 4 pounds. This is my third Rock Island, with my first being the G.I. FULL SIZE 5 inch, and I also have a R.I. double stack, which I carry in my truck. This 3.5 inch compact is the sweetest out of the three. Buy this gun with confidence, and Bud's was very fast with the shipping, and pleasant to deal with "after sale". This is my new IWB carry piece, backed up by a Charter Arms bulldog Pug, 44 Special in my right boot. My wife and I both carry, ... We practice at least twice a month, and pray we NEVER have to be in a position to defend ourselves. I just feel "dressed" with this R.I.